A look back: A Mainebiz columnist who minced no words
One of the regular Mainebiz columnists from the early days was Frank Akers, who had a far-ranging, Augusta-baiting, opinionated take on just about anything related to politics and the economy. He called the U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimate for Maine, then 1.2 million, “smoke and mirrors … jobs in the Southeast lured thousands of our young workers away.” On Augusta: “Maine is a lifestyle all its own. We have close to 1 million actual citizens, who are led by a political system that governs as if we had 2 million year-round citizens.” He urged politicians to “look up the great free enterprise words: Downsize, Reduce, Reorganize and Restructure.” He railed against high taxes, in one column itemizing how much the average Mainer making $20,000 a year would pay in taxes: $11,290. He included among the taxes itemized a hunting and fishing license and a radio FTC license, but concluded that “some savings are possible, like do[ing] without the new auto occasionally or limit[ing] your boating to a canoe.” His favorite target was the state Auto Emission Control Centers, which he called “the biggest boondoggle ever pulled on the people of Maine.”
Fun fact: A two-bedroom apartment on Portland’s East End was advertised in the February 1996 Mainebiz. “Sunny 2nd floor with water views,” plus living room, dining room, porch, two spaces in a garage and access to washer/dryer. Pets welcome. $650 a month, heat included.
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